Coco Crisp says he chose A’s over Rays

I just spoke to old-new A’s center fielder Coco Crisp, whose two-year deal will become official tomorrow after his physical, and he told me that his decision came down to Tampa Bay and Oakland.

There were pros and cons to both – the Rays are more likely to be contenders, and Crisp liked the idea of playing for manager Joe Maddon, while the A’s are on the West Coast, they have spring training in Arizona and he’s closer to his family in Southern California as a result. Plus, he told me, he already knows the A’s players, likes them a lot, and he thinks the team has more potential than people might think.

Plus, the A’s came in with a better offer at the last moment. Crisp’s agent, Steve Comte, said that Tampa Bay was “not only a viable option but the best option” as of Saturday, and on Sunday, the A’s had a new proposal that was more to Crisp’s liking. As I have previously reported, the deal is worth $14 million over two years, with a $7.5 million team option for 2014. New information: Crisp also gets $250,000 if he is traded, and should the A’s be a long way out come July, with numerous young outfielders waiting for playing time, it’s more than likely Crisp would be on the move.

Crisp is happy enough to stay in Oakland, though. While he had wanted to play for a contender, it also was important for him to stay near his family. He had thought at one point that the Giants would be an option, and then the defending champion Cardinals appeared to be an even more likely landing spot, but both teams decided on different options.

And even if the A’s aren’t going to be spoken of as contenders any time soon after trading three All-Star pitchers in less than a month, Crisp said that the idea that the team won’t be in the hunt is all just speculation at this point.

“That’s on paper,” he told me, “but I know the talent these young players have. We could be a surprising team. I know there are a lot of players who could step it up, including me.

“It was a very tough decision, but I’ve loved playing in Oakland. I’ve had a lot of fun there, and I’m happy to be there again. We have a lot of kids with a lot of potential, and underdogs can shock some people. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Crisp compared the A’s to his favorite NBA team, the Clippers, saying, “You know the Lakers are going to be good, but that’s not that exciting. The Clippers, they’re young, they’re exciting to watch – and they’ve done well.”

On a separate note, the A’s lost a key member of their front office, Dan Kantrovitz, to the Cardinals. Kantrovitz, the A’s coordinator of baseball operations and international operations, was spearheading the team’s increased efforts to add international talent. Oakland currently is pursuing Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, and Kantrovitz assuredly was a part of that push. There is no way the A’s will lessen their pursuit, but Kantrovitz was a major asset when it came to acquiring international players.

Kantrovitz was named the Cardinals’ director of amateur scouting today.